Tarantulas are carnivores and eat mostly insects. Insects are their main prey, but they also target bigger game, including frogs, toads, and mice. After a large meal, the tarantula may not need to eat for a month!
How do tarantulas trap their prey?
Tarantulas do not spin webs like other spiders. They wait quietly for an insect or small animal to come near their home to trap their prey. When a tarantula captures a live meal, it first bites the prey with its sharp fangs, injecting it with a paralyzing venom. Once the prey is immobilized, the tarantula secretes digestive enzymes that turn the victim's body into soup. The spider can then suck up its meal using straw-like mouthparts.
Tarantulas are carnivores and eat mostly insects. Insects are their main prey, but they also target bigger game, including frogs, toads, and mice. After a large meal, the tarantula may not need to eat for a month!
How do tarantulas trap their prey?
Tarantulas do not spin webs like other spiders. They wait quietly for an insect or small animal to come near their home to trap their prey. When a tarantula captures a live meal, it first bites the prey with its sharp fangs, injecting it with a paralyzing venom. Once the prey is immobilized, the tarantula secretes digestive enzymes that turn the victim's body into soup. The spider can then suck up its meal using straw-like mouthparts.
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